Fire extinguishing device



July 18; 1950 J. M OU'RNAU D FIRE EXTINGUISHING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1947 M R. N c \l 6 M. z 5 TH. d m m w u F F .v@

A TTOR/VE X Patented July 18, 1950 5,515,832 FIRE sx'rmemsume DEVICE Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767,478 In France September 29, 1944 r.

' i Section 1, Public Law 69o, August '8, 1946 I Patent expires September 29, 1964- 5Claiins. 1

The invention relates to fire-extinguishing devices and refers particularly to such devices as are provided by bombs or mortars which throw out fire-extinguishing substances on explosion of an ejection charge contained therein.

The ejection charge is fired by fuses flush with the exterior of the device, these fuses being lighted either by contact with the flame, or by a sufficient increase in the temperature, or even by a control means actuated by hand.

In order to avoid accidents occasioned by the projection of hard materials, such a device has been constructed of flexible material such as paper or cardboard, sometimes assembled by a rigid system resisting the explosion.

The use of these materials, which does not eliminate completely the danger of splinters being flung out, possesses the great disadvantage of permitting, after a certain lapse of time, either the infiltration of moisture, which is adapted to change and agglomerate the extinguishing substances if they are solid, or of allowing them to evaporate if they are liquid.

The present invention has for its object to overcome these disadvantages, by providing an explosion-type extinguisher, which is tight and impermeable thus permitting of a proper func tioning thereof even in a humid, slightly corrosive atmosphere or in dissolvent vapours.

According to the invention there is provided a fire-extinguishing device which includes a container to house an extinguishing substance and an explosive charge which is arranged to disrupt the container and eject the extinguishing substance therefrom, characterised by the provision of a sheet metal or gun-metal container sealed against the entry of fluids or liquids and having lines of weakening formed therein, whereby the explosive charge is operative to fracture the container along said lines so-that the portions of the container located therebetween open out to a plurality of interconnected tongues during ejection of the extinguishing substance.

The container may be formed in two portions connected by an assembly member adapted to seal the joint between the two parts.

The actuation of the extinguisher can be accomplished by any suitable firing means.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, three embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a device according to the invention. v

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view, in section, of

the deviceshown in Fig. 1 after explosion of the ejection charge.

Figs. 3 and 5 are elevational views of two further devices according to the invention, and

Figs. 4 and 6 are sectional diagrammatical views of the devices shown in Figs. 3 and 5 respectively after explosion of the ejection charge.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the container for the extinguishing substance and ejection charge is constituted by two sheet metal or gun-metal shells C and C1 assembled at their base by means of an assembly member maintained in position by any suitable means about the axis AB so that the joint between the shells is sealed by the assembly member.

A network of fracture-initiating lines is disposed according to a, b, c, d, and the explosive ejection charge is housed in a cartridge connected with the firing device E. Upon the operation the discharge of the extinguishing substances takes place without the projection of metallic splinters, as the two shells open out from a plane I-I into a multiple of interconnected tongues due to the fracturing of the shells along the lines of weakening a, b, c, d, the tongues assuming the appearance of two oppositely disposed tulips, inverted with respect to their initial positions and always integral with the assembly system (Fig. 2).

The device shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises an extinguisher of spherical or spheroidal form, the container for which is constituted by two metallic or gun-meta1 shells C and C1 connected at their base with the assembly member A. The fracture lines or lines of weakening a, b, c, d, 6, represent meridians of this sphere.

The explosive ejection charg is connected with the firing device E, which opens out towards the exterior.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the device is constituted by a single shell C secured to a sleeve I, which permits of adaptation to a rod J. The metallic or gun-metal shell opens, due to the explosion of the ejection charge, into tongues, the lines of weakening for which extend from a commencing point F to stop at a suitable distance from the sleeve I and according to a plane H. These tongues remain integral with the said sleeve when the ejection charge is exploded.

The appearance of the shell after the explosion of the ejection charge assumes the form of an inverted tulip (Fig. 6).

The firing device E flush with the exterior is connected by a fuse with an explosive cartridge disposed in the interior of the extinguishing substances contained in the container C.

I claim:

1. In a fire extinguishing device of the type consisting of fire extinguishing substance housed in a container and an explosive charge therein for disrupting the container and ejecting the charge, a container comprising a closed fluidimpervious shell of light gauge easily bendable metal formed with meridianal type linesof rupture along given portions of the surface of said shell and other portions forming at least one zone of maximum resistance thereon, whereby upon a detonation of said explosive charge the shell portions defined by said rupture lines open up into interconnected symmetrically arranged tongue like formations without fragmentation.

2. A container for a device according to claim 1, wherein said shell is comprised of two half portions and an annular sealing member for said two portions.

3. A container for a device according'to claim formed adjacent one axial end of 'said shell.

4. A container for a device according to claim 1, wherein said zone of maximum resistance is formed equatorially.

' 5. A container for a device according to claim 1, whereinthere are two zones of maximum resistance one adjacent each axial end of said shell.

JACQUES MOURNAUD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,073,416 Finzi Mar. 9, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,132: Great Britain July 10, 1936 

